Speed of 160 km/h; Vande Bharat sleeper service to start from July, Kerala in high hopes

NEW DELHI: Reports suggest that the much-awaited Vande Bharat sleeper trains may begin service in July. The sleeper edition includes features that are set to transform the concept of train travel in India. The first service is likely to be launched by the end of July. Railway sources had earlier confirmed that trial runs had been successfully completed.

However, the final decisions regarding the first route, ticket fares, and timings have not yet been made. Indian Railways aims to roll out 30 Vande Bharat sleeper trains by the end of the 2025–2026 financial year. One of the key highlights of these trains is their top speed of 160 kmph.

Ten Vande Bharat sleeper trains have already been built by BEML, a government-owned company, in preparation for the launch. Meanwhile, production of another ten trains is progressing at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Once launched, the sleeper version of Vande Bharat is set to become the fastest train in India. Although the trains are capable of reaching speeds up to 240 kmph, they will be limited to 160 kmph due to track capacity constraints.

Hope for Kerala
Kerala has emerged as one of the top-performing states in terms of Vande Bharat chair car services. Given this, it is expected that one of the first ten sleeper trains might be allocated to Kerala within the initial phase. The train is anticipated to arrive as an Onam gift for the people of Kerala. The Bengaluru–Thiruvananthapuram Central route is being considered a top priority.